Prepared by Action Digital part of Action Global Communications

The concept of using celebrities – real or imagined – as brand ambassadors is not new. Santa’s been at it for years, the Marlboro man got away with it for longer than most of us imagined and the Old Spice Man was resurrected albeit in beefier form. The rise of social media though has evolved influencer marketing into a whole new engagement approach – yet a complex one to navigate.

The concept of using celebrities – real or imagined –  as brand ambassadors is not new. Santa’s been at it for years, the Marlboro man got away with it for longer than most of us imagined and the Old Spice Man was resurrected albeit in beefier form. The rise of social media though has evolved influencer marketing into a whole new engagement approach – yet a complex one to navigate.

Band wagon or band leaders?

New gen influencers – from macros to micros – are extoling their abilities to turn passions into channels of influential expertise which capture audiences that marketeers wish to speak to.  And, while there are numerous examples of how the concept has been successful, there are equally others whose main achievement is in convincing marketeers that they have audiences ready to listen or the expertise to tell an engaging story.

Couple that maze with regional sensitivities and legal requirements, and impactful influencer marketing is not an easy-to-access route.

Regional Differences for Influencer Marketing: Focusing on the Middle East 

Tactics, tools and strategies needed for an influencer campaign to succeed in one market may likely fail in another.

Though influencer marketing is integral to global communications strategies, it needs to be local in implementation to ensure cultural and geo-political sensitivities are not breached. This is particularly true for the countries of Action’s core international network comprising over 40 countries across Russia & CIS, the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, Central & Eastern Europe, the Baltics and Eastern Mediterranean.

Local expertise is as key to getting the most from an influencer marketing campaign as it is to maximizing ROI on all PR and digital comms tactics. Professional, local talent who can navigate the who, where, when, why and how of what works and what doesn’t is your starter for 10.

To exemplify this, let’s look at one of Action’s most diverse and dynamic regions – the Middle East. There is huge opportunity here for those who know how to approach a region with one of the world’s youngest populations, highest new technology adoption rates and a particular fascination with visual content. But go there without local guidance at your peril!

Stay On The Right Side of the Tracks:

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for instance, all influencers have to be registered with the government and any activity resulting in a profit is rendered a business under the UAE Commercial Transactions Law. The fact that an influencer is convincing consumers to buy a product/service renders the activity as an advertisement which must comply with advertising standards and consumer protection legislation. And here’s where it can get really complex. In the UAE, advertisements aren’t regulated by a single entity but are governed by numerous laws such as the Printing and Publication law, National Media Council regulations, cybercrime law and laws governing consumer protection and commercial activities, particularly in relation to anti-competitive practices and illegal monopolies. What’s more, the influencers may own the rights to their content commercially if they agree such an arrangement with a brand, or they may be acting in an agent capacity so agency laws may apply.

Generally speaking, producers and advertisers must always bear in mind that, unless they have developed and produced every element of the campaign themselves, they may be infringing another person’s copyright by using music, images or clips without a proper license. Also, the cybercrime law may apply if the campaign was perceived to have a criminal aspect such as a ‘gambling’ aspect. So, take advice to avoid potential pitfalls, including potential criminal implications, and in an influencer’s case, it may be wise to review the systems influencers use such as website legal policies, a social media and digital communications policy and image rights and privacy.

Overcoming taboo:

Political or religious issues impacting a market are a must-have discussion when selecting and vetting potential influencers to integrate into a campaign. When it comes to PR and comms, you can’t afford not to discuss these issues if you want the campaign to be successful and avoid negative backlash in a region where fierce adverse social media backlash calling out brands can escalate massively.

Getting personal:

In Saudi, the health industry comes in for strong governmental monitoring. It’s important to be extra cautious of influencer content as local authorities can crack down on social media content that they consider ‘misleading.’

Best Price:

Agencies and clients alike need to understand that even within a single region, influencer fees can vary dramatically.  In the Middle East classes are defined by followers with micro at less than 10,000, mid at 10,000-100,000 and macro at over 100,000.

Cream of the Crop:

Check out our select list of top influencers from each of these markets to discover who’s heating up social media in the region:

UAE :

• Khalid Al Ameri https://www.instagram.com/khalidalameri/?hl=en
• Mo Vlogs https://www.instagram.com/mo_vlogs_/?hl=en
• Abdulaziz Baz https://www.instagram.com/bin_baz/?hl=en
• Hayla Al Ghazal https://www.instagram.com/haylatv/?hl=en

Egypt:

• Lifestyle: https://www.instagram.com/zaynebofficial/?hl=en
• Travel: https://www.instagram.com/sheriffayed/
• Entertainment: https://www.instagram.com/waelmansour0/?hl=en

KSA:

• Lojain Omran (presenter MBC TV – Good Morning)
• Hisham Al Houish (Saudi comedy actor)
• Afnan Albatel (fusionist)
• Abdullah Aljumah and Sauditraveler (tourism influencer)
• Hasan Kutbi, Baker Azher Alam Almouharekat (automotive influencer)

We hope you now have a feel for where the pitfalls can lie when attempting to use influencer marketing without local guidance. No matter the client, brand or message, if you’re looking to implement an influencer marketing campaign (especially in multiple markets), it’s important to have a local partner/consultant with comms expertise to develop a successful strategy that provides lasting connections to target audiences while maximizing ROI. See you on the Net.